“The Prince of Wales is to be commended for bringing different faiths together in recognition of the challenges faced by many Christian communities throughout the Middle East.”

Israeli ambassador, Daniel Taub, who was also at the reception, said Israel shared the Prince’s “deep concern”.

He added: “Sadly, Israel is the only country in the region where the Christian population is growing, and I am thankful to Prince Charles for drawing attention to this important issue.”

Prince Charles reserved special praise for his royal counterpart, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, who serves as personal envoy and special advisor to King Abdullah, Jordan’s head of state.

He described the envoy as “a noted Islamic scholar” who supported Christians throughout the world.

The Prince concluded by saying that the Christmas period was the ideal time to remember the moral principles which bind the three Abrahamic faiths — Christianity, Judaism and Islam — together and to, “express outrage at what tears us asunder”.